Semipower press and tandem control



June 29, 1943. F. A. HEIDENFELDER SEMI-POWER PRESS AND TANDEM CONTROLFiled Dec. 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FFf E D- A. HEIDENFELDER 7ATTORNEYS Patented June 29, 1943 SEMIPOVVER PRESS AND TANDEM CONTROLFred A. Heidenfelder, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The American LaundryMachinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationDecember 3, 1938, Serial No. 243,685

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in press operating and controlmechanism both for the operation and control of a single pressingmachine and for the joint or tandem operation of a plurality of pressingmachines.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a pressingmachine of the type which is first manually closed after which pressureis applied by power. One of the features of the invention is thespecific arrangement of the means for holding the pressing head inpressing position and the specific arrangement of the parts forthereafter moving the pressing bed into engagement with the head.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for holdinga pressing head in pressing position and novel means for removing thehead holding means from the position maintained during a pressingoperation and operable automatically as the pressing power means isreleased.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means at one pressoperated in a novel manner by connection with one of the press parts asthat press closes to actuate control means at another press to causeopening of that other press.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tandemconnection between a pair of pressing machines whereby one of them maybe caused to open while the operator is at the other of the machines,together with novel means for selecting individual or tandem control asdesired by the operator.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the accompanyingdrawings and specification and the essential features will be set forthin the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a pressing machineembodying my invention, certain of the parts being shown in section orbroken away to more clearly indicate the parts, the control mechanismbeing here shown diagrammatically and the. full line position of theparts cor" responds to open position of the press while the dot-dashposition indicates a safely closed condition of the press; 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 but showing the press fully closed; Fig. 3 is anenlarged fragmental detail of the head maintaining strut releasing andcontrol mechanism, certain of the parts being shown in section; Fig.

4 is a sectional view taken along the line i i of Fig. 1; while Fig. 5is a diagrammatic View of control mechanism showing a tandem controlconnection of two pressing machines similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to4.

In the pressing machine illustrated, a frame I0 includes a pair ofmutually facing vertical channels Illa at the rear portion thereofbetween which is carried a pivot II upon which is mounted a head leverI2. This lever carries at its forward end a pressing head I3 which ismovable from the open position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to a safeclosed or pressing position indicated in dot-dash lines thereto. For thepurposes of this invention the pressing head is moved to pressingposition manually by the operator grasping the handle I4. Means isprovided for holding the head in its pressing position while pressure isapplied from below. This means comprises a strut I5 pivotally mounted onthe rear end of the head lever at IS. The strut has a bifurcated lowerend which carries a pin l5a which in turn rides along tracks I? securedto the rear flanges of the channels Ilia. At the upper ends of thesetrack are abutments I'Ia against which the pins I5a may lodge so as toprevent downward movement of the strut. Cushioning bumpers I8 areprovided to lessen the noise as the pins engage the shoulders. Means isprovided for urging the lower end of the strut l5 toward the shouldersor abutments Ho and in the embodiment here shown this is combined withmeans for urging the head I3 to its open position. To this end a springI9 is connected between the frame and a rearwardly extending bracketIS!) on the strut I 5. Thus the spring not only urges the head lever toopen position but because of its ofiset relation to pivot I6 urges thepins Ilia against tracks I'l so that upon reaching the proper positionthey lodge on-the shoulders or abutments I Ia. Asnubbing device for thehead lever action is indicated at 2B.

The pressing bed 2I is mounted in a bracket 22 of the frame for limitedvertical movement. This movement is guided by pins 23 and the bed isurged downwardly by springs 24. A pressure pin 25 extends downwardlybelow the bed where it is engaged by the shorter arm 28a of a bell crank26 which is pivotally mounted in the frame. The longer arm of the bellcrank 26b is pivotally connected at its lower end with the piston rodZ'la of the cylinder and piston motor 21. The cylinder 21b of this motoris pivotally mounted in the frame at 28. A spring 29 urges the bellcrank 23 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. Motivefluid is supplied to the motor 27 by way of a combined flow and exhaustconduit 3%] which communicates with a fluid supply at 3i by Way of avalve casing 32. Thi casing houses an inlet valve 32a urged towardclosed position by the spring 321). Conduit 30 is connected with exhaustthrough valve casing 33 which houses a valve 33a urged toward closedposition by the spring 33%). Pivotally mounted on the frame betweenthese valves is a manually operated lever 34 having a pair of rigid camarms 34a and 34b. These cam arms have substantially fiat end portionsadapted to engage against fingers 35a and 35b respectively, to pushagainst valve stems 32c and 330 respectively, to urge valves 32a and 33ato open position. The arrangement of the parts is such that when manual34 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the inlet valve is closed and theoutlet valve is held open, while in the position of the manual 34 shownin Fig. 2 the reverse condition occurs corresponding to closed positionof the press. It will be noted that because of the arrangement of thevalve springs and the fiat end portions of the cam arms, the manual 34will hold the valves in either of the positions of Figs. 1 and 2, uponthe mere placing of the manual in the corresponding position.

Both manual and automatic means are provided for moving the strut 15 outof its head maintaining position shown in Fig. 2 at the close of apressing operation. The manual control comprises a rod 36 mounted forreciprocal movement in the frame and having its rear end 36a locatedadjacent the strut l5. A spring 361) urges this rod to inoperativeposition. Obviously, pushing the rod rearwardly will dislodge the strutl from the shoulders [1a. The automatic means comprises a servomotor 37suitably mounted on the frame and having a piston 310. whose piston rod311) is located adjacent the lower end of strut I5 when the strut is inhead maintaining position. A spring 31c urges the piston 31a. toinoperative position in its cylinder. Motive fluid is supplied toservomotor 31 through conduit 38, valve casing 39 and conduit 40 whichcommunicates with the source 3|. The valve casing 39 is one of two valvecasings which are mounted side by side on a bracket 4| which is securedto the frame. The other valve casing is for tandem operation and will belater described. Casing 39 houses a normally closed valve 39a. whosestem 3% is engaged by a finger 42. Pivotally connected with bell crank26 is a bar 43 which carries a cam finger 44 which as shown in Fig. 3rotates freely in a clockwise direction as bar 43 moves forward whilebell crank 26 is moving in a pressure producing direction. The camfinger however is held by a stop 44a against counterclockwise movementwhen bar 43 moves rearwardly as the bell crank 26 moves in pressurereleasing direction. Therefore when pressure has been relieved from thepressing bed bar 43 moves rearwardly and the cam finger 44 wipes overthe finger 42 thus momentarily opening the valve 39a and sending a shotof air to servomotor 31 to remove the strut l5 from its head holdingposition. To insure proper travel of the bar 43 it is confined beneath aroller 45 suitably supported in the bracket 4!. The piston 310. may bemade a loose fit in its cylinder so that after it has made a powerstroke it is quickly returned to inoperative position by the spring 310as soon as valve 39a closes.

In the tandem control connection means is provided for returning themanually operated lever 34 of one machine to press opening producingposition upon movement of the bell crank 26 of the other machine inpressure producing direction. As is well understood the purpose of sucha control is to enable an operator to efiiciently work two machines atone time. As the operator closes one machine the tandem connection willautomatically open the other machine so that it is ready to work on assoon as reached. The arrangement here shown comprises a servomotor 46located one at each machine with a piston rod 46a adapted upon a powerstroke of the servomotor to move the manual 34 from the position of Fig.2 to that of Fig. 1 so as to permit the press to open. The supply forthis servomotor is by way of conduit 4'! extending to the other machineand communicating through valve casing 48 with a pressure fluid supply49. Each valve casing 48 as best seen in Fig. 5 houses a normally closedinlet valve 480. having a stem 4% engaged by a finger 50. Manual 5| hasa cam arm 510, with a flat tened end portion so that when the manual ismoved to open valve 48a the parts will stay put in that position. Whentandem control is desired the manuals 5| will be in the full lineposition of Fig. 5 whereas when tandem control is not desired thesemanuals will be moved to the dotdash position of Fig. 5 to close thevalves 48a. Thus whether or not there is fiow through conduit 41 willdepend upon the position of manual 5|. The piston of servomotor 46 maybe made a loose fit in its cylinder so that the spring returns theservomotor to inoperative position as soon as the fluid supply is cutoff.

Means is provided for automatically supplying pressure fluid through theconduit 47 to servomotor 46 upon a press closing operation of the otherpress. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, on the side of bar 43 opposite tothat which carries the cam finger 44 is mounted another cam finger 52.For purposes of ,the diagram in Fig. 5 a fragment of the bar 43 is shownin the upper position so as to more clearly disclose the operativearrangement of the parts.

The supply of pressure fluid to servomotor 46 at one press throughconduit 41, valve casing 48 and conduit 49 is by way of a valve casing53 located at the other press alongside of the valve casing 39 andsupported by the same bracket. This casing houses a normally closedvalve 53a whose stem 5% is engaged by a finger 54. Referring to Fig. 5it 'will be noted that the cam finger 52 rotates freely in acounterclockwise direction as bar 43 moves rearwardly but is heldagainst turning by stop 52a when bar 43 moves forwardly. This forwardmovement of bar 43 corresponds to pressure producing movement of bellcrank 26 so that as press A shown to the left in Fig. 5 closes, the camfinger 52 momentarily depresses the valve stem 5312 providing a shot ofair from the source 55 through conduits 49 and 4? to the servomotor 46of the other press to there cause a press opening operation.

The operation of this tandem connection will now be apparent from Fig. 5where press A at the left of the diagram is indicated in open positionand press B at the right of the diagram is shown in closed position. Themanual 34 of press B is maintaining fiuid supply to the power motor 21of that press. As the operator moves manual 34 of press A to thedot-dash position to cause a flow of fluid to motor 21 of press A, thebell crank 26 of press A will move in a counterclockwise directioncausing bar 43 to move forwardly. Cam finger 52 will momentarily openthe valve 53a, sending air through conduits 55 and 49, valve casing 48and conduit 41 to servomotor 46 of press B. This motor will make anupward stroke engaging the cam arm 34a and moving the manual 34 in acounterclockwise direction so as to permit valve 32a of press B to closeand opening exhaust valve 33a of press B. This will exhaust the motor 21of press B permitting the spring IQ of that press to open it. As press Bopens the cam finger 44 Will momentarily send a shot of air to theservomotor 31 of press B to remove its strut 15 from the shoulders Ilaso that the head may be raised to open position.

It will be noted that I have provided a very simple tandem controlrequiring no thought on the part of the operator except that required toposition the manual 5| in its lower position if tandem operation, isdesired or in its upper position if tandem operation is not desired.This manual 5| will stay in either position in which it is placed andthus renders the selection of individual or tandem operation very easy.

What I claim is:

1. Control means for coordinating single-operator control of a pair ofpressing machines each having coacting pressing elements, having poweractuated operating mechanism for causing relative closing and openingmovements of said elements, and each press having control means for saidoperating mechanism for causing press closing and opening operations ofeach press by itself, comprising a servomotor for actuating said controlmeans at one pressing machine in a direction to cause opening of thatone machine, a fluid supply for said servomotor including a valveadapted to remain in either open or closed position when once placed inthat position and a normally closed valve, and means for opening saidlast named valve by press closing operation of the other pressingmachine, whereby an operator standing at said other machine may therecause press closing operation of that press, whereupon the remote presswill automatically open.

2. Control means for coordinating single-operator control of a pair ofpressing machines each having a frame supporting a pressing head, havingmeans for holding said head in pressing position, having a pressing bedvertically movable in said frame into engagement with said head and alever having an operative connection with said bed for raising it intoengagement with said head, and having a fluid motor operativelyconnected with said lever for causing movement of said bed into and outof pressure engagement, comprising control means for causingout-ofengagement movement of said motor including a servomotor at onemachine, a fluid supply for said servomotor including a normally closedvalve at the other machine, and means for opening said valve by movementof the lever of said other machine in pressure producing direction.

3. Control means as in claim 2 wherein said last named means comprises abar connected with said lever of said other machine, and a cam carfiedby said bar and adapted to open said valve by pressureproducing'movement of said lever.

f1. Control means for coordinating single-operator control of a pair ofpressing machines each having coacting pressing elements and operatingmechanism for causing relative closing and opening movements of saidelements, each press having control means for causing press closing andopening operations including a fluid motor and a valve arranged toremain in either fluid supply or cut-off position when so positioned,each press having a servomotor for moving said control means from supplyto cut-off position, and a fluid supply for said servomotor of one pressincluding a valve adapted to remain either open or closed when sopositioned and a normally closed valve, and means for opening said lastnamed valve momentarily by press closing operation of the other pressingmachine.

FRED A. HEIDENFEIDER.

